


Blanks

by jesus_buck



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky is a jerk, F/M, Language, Minor Violence, enemies to lovers (kinda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-17 01:06:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14822318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesus_buck/pseuds/jesus_buck
Summary: Bucky’s shooting blanks, but not the kind you think.





	Blanks

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off the prompt "Honey, I'm shooting blanks!"

Life as an Avenger was crazy. Between the missions, training, and briefings, it was a constant flurry of activity. Things were always changing, and it kept you on your toes.

There was one constant, though: Bucky Barnes hated you.

You didn’t know why. Since you had met him when he came back from Wakanda, you’d been nothing but friendly. You’d offer help when he looked like he needed it, and try to engage him in group and one-on-one activities. Hell, you’d even offered to cook for him on multiple occasions.

He was a little distant at first, which you could understand. When you started being paired up for missions you had hoped it would get better, but it just became worse. The snarky comments were first. “Watch yourself, honey,” he’d call, taking out a target you clearly had handled. “Slow down, honey, don’t want you to fall and muss up your pretty face,” he’d joke when you’d trip over your own feet in training.

You tried to ignore it, but something in you snapped each time he called you “honey” in that sickeningly fake sweet voice. So you began to dish it right back. You’d tried several pet names: “dear”, “baby”, “sweetie”… but “Sugar” seemed to piss him off the most, and that became your go-to.

You even called each other that on missions, much to the annoyance of your fellow Avengers. Steve had even threatened to bench you both if you couldn’t act professionally. But the results didn’t lie: you two worked great together. So he let you continue, but didn’t give up on nagging the two of you to play nice, sounding like an exhausted parent.

The worst part was that you cared. You saw how well Bucky got on with the rest of the team, and hated that for some reason he’d singled you out as the one person he couldn’t stand. You’d see him smiling and laughing with Steve and Nat, or Wanda and Clint, and found yourself wanting to be the reason he smiled. You wanted him to call you sweet nicknames and mean it. And god, you wanted him to throw you up against a wall and kiss you like there was no tomorrow.

The only one who really knew the full extent of your frustration with - and crush on - Bucky was Sam. You were close with all the other Avengers, sure, but Sam and you were two peas in a pod. He shared your sarcastic sense of humor and love for harmless pranks, and you had instantly bonded.

When you complained about all of this to Sam he constantly assured you that you were doing nothing wrong, that Barnes was “just a crotchety old man who didn’t know how to be nice”.  He kept offering to set you up on blind dates with some of his buddies, but they never panned out. So, you resigned yourself to the fact if you wanted Bucky in your life, it would be as an asshole or not at all.

A few months after you’d accepted that fact, the pranks started. At first you though it was Sam who had put almost an entire bottle of hot sauce in your soup and then removed all dairy from the kitchen, leaving you with no way to soothe your mouth that felt like the surface of the sun. But one glance at Bucky’s shit eating grin and Sam’s panicked face as he hid behind Nat was enough to let you know who really did it.

Things just escalated from there. You replaced all the music on Bucky’s iPod with podcasts on how to feel younger. He strung all your workout clothes from a wire on the 20 ft ceiling in the training room (Clint had to help you get them down). You replaced the door on his bedroom with a clear pane of glass, and laughed your ass off when he walked straight into it. It was always harmless…

Until today.

* * *

 

You were down at the range in the basement of the compound, getting ready for some target practice. You weren’t very good… hand to hand combat with knives was your strong suit. You had sucked it up and asked Bucky to help you. Asshole or not, he was the best shot on the team. Grabbing your rifle and inspecting it, you jump when he speaks from behind you.

“You sure you’re ready for that big gun, honey?” he purrs, and you roll your eyes.

“Oh sugar, I’ve handled bigger.”

He tosses you a magazine, smirking. ““Let’s see what you got then, hon”.

You take your position, and before he can correct you your phones both start beeping. “Mission,” you monotone, not bothering to glance up at Bucky as you toss the rifle to him. “It’s urgent. Wheels up in 5.”

You both take off at a dead sprint towards the locker rooms, Bucky still holding the gun, and nod as you part ways. “See you on the jet,” Bucky calls as you leave him behind.

* * *

 

Steve gave you, Bucky, and Sam the quick rundown en route. A small Hydra contingent - less than 20 - had taken some civilians hostage. You all just needed to get in, neutralize Hydra, and get everyone out safely. Bucky would be on the roof of a nearby building, laying down cover. Sam would be monitoring the situation from the sky, flying hostages out if need be. You and Steve would be fighting your way in, and clearing the way for everyone to get out safely.

As the jet landed, you stood by the exit, twirling your knives once more before sliding them into their holsters on your thighs. Checking your hips, you confirmed that your six smaller knives were all accounted for, and that your pistol was strapped to your lower back.

“Gonna give ‘em hell out there, honey?” Bucky teased from next to you, where he was checking his ammo stock.

“More than you will, sugar,” you snarked back as the door opened, and the chaos began.

They were waiting for you, and there were definitely more than 20, unless they had stationed everyone outside. As you and Steve charged them, Sam hot on your heels to help, you started to panic at the lack of assistance from Bucky. “Sugar—” you grunted in between stabs to a man’s torso “—if you’re not too busy—” a slash to a throat  “—we could use—” a knee to a groin  “—a LITTLE FUCKING HELP!!!” you shouted.

“SHIT!” came his response through the comms, and you knew that something was wrong. “ **Honey, I’m shooting blanks!** ”

“I don’t give a fuck about your ability to have kids Barnes!” you choke out, flipping someone over your shoulder. “I care about your ability to SHOOT THESE FUCKERS DOWN!” you scream as you whip out your pistol and shoot the last man charging at you, turning around and giving the rooftop where Bucky was two middle fingers.

Suddenly, fire rips through your thigh. You look down and see blood seeping through the fabric of your suit, and turn around with knife in hand just in time to see Sam take out the asshole  twenty paces behind you.

You barely register everyone, even Bucky, shouting your name as you fall to the ground. “Son of a bitch, he shot me,” you mutter as your vision fades to black.

* * *

 

When you wake up in the jet, your leg is throbbing. Yep, you definitely didn’t dream getting shot. But the pain is secondary to the rage bubbling in your gut. Whipping your head around, you lock eyes on the man you deem responsible.

“What the hell Barnes?” you snapped, venom in your voice.

“Y/N I—”

“Yeah,  _YOU_! You should have been covering our asses out there! That was your  _JOB_. I know you don’t like me, but they could’ve fucking killed me! They could’ve shot Steve or Sam!” you fume.

When you finish your tirade, you finally get a good look at Bucky and instantly regret what you’d said. His eyes are red and puffy, and there’s tear stains on his cheeks. Apparently he was taking this hard. Softening just a bit, you motion for him to come sit next to you.

You keep your gaze on him as he makes his way over, but from the corner of your eye you see Steve slip into the cockpit with Sam, and shut the door.

“What happened?” you asked, firmly but not unkindly.

“I… God I was so stupid…” he stutters, hanging his head in his hands.

Not moving, he begins to speak to the floor, and you have to strain to hear him. “I… I just kept the rifle you tossed me in the range. Figured it would be faster than grabbing my usual one. But… the fucking magazine. I tossed you one filled with blanks. Wanted to screw with you, make you think you weren’t hitting anything. I forgot to put a new one in on the way there. I got up to the roof and started firing… and by the time I figured out what was wrong and changed it out it was too late,” he finishes, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

“I could’ve lost you, Y/N, all because of a stupid fucking prank to try to get you to like me. I’m so sorry. I’ll… I’ll leave you alone from now on, I promise,” he mumbles as he stands to move away from you.

Eyes flying wide at what he just said, you grab his wrist before he can leave. He flinches, but stops.

“James Buchanan Barnes. Are you telling me you were pranking me, and sassing me, to get me to like you?” you hiss.

Nodding his head sheepishly, he slowly turns back to you. “Just.. you and bird brain are really close, y’know? And I guess… I thought that maybe you’d notice me if I did that. That maybe we could be close like you and Sam are,” he rubs his flesh hand on his neck, hanging his head.

“By the time I realized I was just alienating you, I guess I thought there was no hope for you ever feeling the same way about me. So… so I just kept going,” he sighs.

“How you felt about me?” you snap. “I think it’s pretty obvious that you haven’t liked me from day one.”

“No! No,” he exclaims. “You just… you were so nice. And I don’t deserve nice. I didn’t know what to do, I thought you pitied me. But then you… you just kept being nice. Like you actually cared about me. And… and I don’t know how it fucking happened but somehow… Somehow I—”

“You what?” you sneer, not particularly caring what  _it_  was.

“I fell for you,” he murmurs, looking everywhere but you.

Shock flashes across your face, quickly replaced by a soft smile. A warmth you haven’t felt in a long time spreads through your chest as you pull him closer by his metal arm. “Sugar,” you whisper sweetly. He snaps his head up to meet yours, startled. He’d never heard you use that name with such kindness in your voice before.

“You’re some kind of stupid, sugar,” you hum as you pull him back onto the seat next to you. He sucks in a sharp breath as you snuggle into his side, making yourself comfortable before looking up at him. “But so am I, ‘cause I fell for you too.”

And finally, Bucky Barnes smiles at you.


End file.
